William Elmer ""Bill"" Larson

William E. Larson (Bill) was born April 17, 1930 and went to be with the Lord February 10, 2016. He was a native of Portland and graduated from Benson High School. Bill joined the Oregon Air National Guard in 1947 and retired as a major in 1975. He married his wife Beverly in 1959 and had four children and one adopted son. During his military career he spent time in Alaska during the Korean War working on communications. Bill worked for Pacific Northwest Bell in Marketing and Management and retired after 37 years. During his career he spent a year living and working in Saudi Arabia with Western Electric. Bill was a man with a big heart. He was a giver from the heart and would always think of others before himself. He loved spending time with his family. Family was a big part of his life. Bill had a real passion for camping and enjoyed traveling around the country with his wife in their motor home. His favorite place to camp was Winchester Bay, Oregon. A place where he spent many childhood summers on a family friend\u0027s farm. He enjoyed the peace and tranquility of the scenery as they overlooked the bay from their campsite. He is survived by his wife Beverly, son Michael (Patti), son Mark (Lia), son David (Joy), daughter Dana (James), daughter Patty (Steve) and nine grandchildren. A memorial service celebrating his life will be held Friday, February 19th at 1:30pm at Portland Christian Center; 5700 SW Dosch Rd., Portland, OR 97239 Donations may be made to St. Jude\u0027s Children\u0027s Hospital or the American Cancer Society in memory of Bill Larson."",